CHILLSPOT Records producer DJ Ribhe has changed his lawyer but he is still likely to spend, at least, a month in custody pending finalisation of investigations into allegations he raped a teenage schoolgirl.
DJ Ribhe, whose real name is Tafadzwa Mandaza, is one of the stars at Chillspot Records. He appeared in court virtually yesterday and was remanded to next month pending finalisation of the investigations. DJ Ribhe appeared before regional magistrate Tilder Mazhande, who remanded him to December 3. He has been in custody since the beginning of this month.
DJ Ribhe is yet to file his bail applicationat the High Court after his family told his lawyer Dumisani Mthombeni that they had secured another lawyer for him. Mthombeni is Chillspot Records’ stable lawyer who has represented its two biggest stars – DJ Fantan and DJ Levels – in their previous brushes with the law. Allegations are that DJ Ribhe drugged his 14-year-old Form 2 victim before raping her.
The victim resides in the same neighborhood as DJ Ribhe.The State alleged that on October 16, the victim didn’t go back home after school as scheduled. When her father checked with the school, he was told that she hadn’t come to school for two days. The next day, the victim went to DJ Ribhe’s home in the company of other people who have not been named in the State’s papers. They then left for Mashwede Village at around 10pm.
It is the State’s case that DJ Ribhe manipulated the minor into drinking an unknown substance and smoking shisha. Later that night, DJ Ribhe took the girl to his home where she regained consciousness the next day. It is alleged that when she woke up, she realised that DJ Ribhe has raped her. The child was then located by a search party that was looking for her as her father had made a missing person’s report. Upon being questioned about her whereabouts, the child revealed to her father that she had been raped by DJ Ribhe.
